THE CHINA STUDY QUICK & EASY COOKBOOK (27 page)

Chowders are seafood or vegetable stews usually made with milk and often thickened with crackers. This version uses pureed cauliflower as both the milk and the thickener, with flavorful results.

3 cups frozen cauliflower florets

3 cups vegetable stock

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 large poblano peppers, seeded and diced

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1½ teaspoons dried thyme

1½ teaspoons dried oregano

1 10-ounce bag frozen corn

sea salt and black pepper

chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

1.
Combine the cauliflower and vegetable stock in a 2-quart stockpot and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the cauliflower until very tender, about 10 minutes.

2.
Add the mixture to a blender with a tight-fitting lid and cover it with a towel. Puree the cauliflower until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.

3.
While the cauliflower cooks, sauté the onion and poblano peppers in a large saucepan over medium heat for 8 minutes. Add water 1–2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking.

4.
Add the cumin, thyme, and oregano to the onions and peppers, and cook for another minute.

5.
Add the corn and the cauliflower puree and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

6.
Season with sea salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes more. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS    

You can make this delicious soup without toasting the spices, but it makes all the difference in the flavor. The spices go from toasted to burnt very quickly, so don’t leave them unattended.

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

3 cups vegetable stock

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

sea salt and black pepper to taste

chopped green onion, for garnish

chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

1.
Toast the cumin and oregano in a large saucepan for 3–4 minutes over medium heat, until the spices start to smoke.

2.
Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, garlic, and black beans and cook for 15 minutes.

3.
Season with sea salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes to marry the flavors.

4.
Serve garnished with the green onion and cilantro.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS    

Onions, peppers, garlic, and cilantro cooked with tomato sauce is called
sofrito
and is used commonly in Caribbean cooking to flavor foods. Each household has its favorite version of this flavor starter, and each thinks its own is the best.

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

2 medium poblano peppers, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 15-ounce cans red kidney beans (about 7 cups), drained and rinsed

½ cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

sea salt and black pepper to taste

2½ cups vegetable stock

1.
Sauté the onion and poblano peppers in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, adding water 1–2 tablespoons at a time as needed to keep the vegetables from sticking.

2.
Add the garlic and cilantro and cook for 1 minute.

3.
Add the red kidney beans, tomato sauce, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix well.

4.
Add the vegetable stock and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS    

The rosemary, nutmeg, and orange zest in this soup really bring the sweet potatoes, leeks, and red pepper to life.

2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, diced and rinsed

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups vegetable stock

zest of 1 orange

sea salt and black pepper to taste

1.
Sauté the leeks and red bell pepper in a large saucepan for 5 minutes. Add water 1–2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking.

2.
Add the rosemary, nutmeg, sweet potatoes, vegetable stock, and orange zest. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the soup until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.

3.
Season the soup with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes more to allow the flavors to marry. Puree up to half the soup for a creamier consistency.

TIP

You can use canned sweet potatoes for this flavorful soup. You will need two 15-ounce cans of sweet potato puree. You can also use pumpkin or other squash in this recipe, but sweet potatoes are my favorite.